how we use Saxon {or amy text} year round....

Yes we are going to become year-round schoolers. We use to be year-round, then for a few years Papa Bears Nephew lived with us, and it was "easier" for everyone to go along with the public schools schedule. However if I ever had another child in public school, I'd still go year round and make it work in others ways. {but that's a whole different post}

We also love Saxon Math. I always thought A2 would need a different math curriculum, however she has learned to work Saxon, and it works!!!

That being said, I do not use the early Saxon. I used these with A1, and when it was only him, it worked. However I can not sit down and "teach" math to all my children day in and day out. Not to mention, Mama Bear all but detests math!!! We love the Rod and Staff Math, and we have used Abeka for the first years. Now we are only using Rod and Staff, it's much cheaper and I believe has better review. I also enjoy being able to purchase materials and keep using them for all the A's and not have to keep purchasing so many things! So we stick to Rod and Staff. A3 is currently using Rod and Staff 4. This is the farthest we have taken Rod and Staff. We did this because, A2 and A3 did not want to have to share a math curriculum. A2 is about half way through, and A3 needed to begin it.

So how do we use Saxon Math, and me not "teach" math??? I simply give the A's the math text they read the lesson, do their lesson! I am always available for help, for questions and such... but they usually figure it out themselves. Even A5 is doing Rod and Staff's math 1 and does this unless it's something new she needs explained.

So how do I schedule our math, year around? I don't!!! and I love it!!!!!!! We simply move through the books, lesson by lesson. We rotate doing the Problem Solving and Mental Math box, with the Math Facts timed test. So the first lesson they do the Math Facts timed test, then lesson two is the Problem Solving and Mental Math box, then with lesson three it's the timed test. After I correct the lesson, they can only get 10 or fewer wrong to "pass off" the lesson. Sometimes if they get most or all of their errors in the practice problems or I feel they didn't do the lesson well, or need to review something they didn't do well on. They will repeat the lesson again. If they get 10 or more wrong on their lesson they repeat it the next day. This has made it so they are super careful and work through each question thoroughly. That or they are lazy and then do it again!! After I correct the first time, they get to correct the mistakes, this is where I can "see" if they are struggling with a concept or not understanding something. Sometimes they just simply weren't thinking, or simply not awake, or simply not paying attention. This is where I make my decision if it's a lesson that needs repeating.

We also do Math first thing in the morning. They get up, shower, dress take care of hygiene do their personal scripture devotional and personal prayers along with journal entries. {all in the order they chose, depending on the day and such} Then they move into Math, until we do our morning family scripture devotional. I believe they do better first thing in the morning, have better concentration and are able to tune their brains into the math mode, right off!!! We use to not be so strict about this, and since A2 thinks math is the worst thing in the world... next to crab {she gets sick every time she eats crab} she would wait and do math last, after I made her do it first her scores improved... interesting enough!

So that's how we do math, how we do year around school. I truly believe, and can even say from experience, Math needs to be done everyday. I noticed when we weren't year around schoolers, we simply had to re-learn so much, it wasn't worth it to us. We try to work out schedule around the weather and seasons. Usually we get up do yard work, gardening, and such in the mornings when it's cooler outside, and school in the early afternoons when it's HOT!

Well it works for us! What works for you??